Ministry of Environment Clarifies Concept of Environmental Crime

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Monitoring Chemical Hazards to Protect Public Health in Iraq.

The Ministry of Environment clarified the details of environmental crime on Wednesday, reaffirming Iraq’s commitment to international agreements and stressing that indiscriminate or open burning is a serious hazard prohibited under all legislation.

Ministry spokesperson Luay al-Mukhtar told the Iraqi News Agency that the Chemicals Monitoring and Contaminated Sites Assessment Department, a technical department of the Ministry established in 2009, operates under the Environmental Protection and Improvement Law. Its role is to minimise risks associated with chemical materials throughout their lifecycle, including import, export, transport, storage, use, treatment, disposal, and the remediation of contaminated sites, such as those affected by oil pollution and related health impacts.

He added that the department also monitors and identifies widely used products that may present health hazards. Among its key achievements in recent years are regulating import and transportation operations, ensuring warehouses are environmentally licensed, and mandating that all chemical substances carry safety labels providing detailed information on handling, risks, first aid measures, storage and transport, and emergency procedures, including fires.

Al-Mukhtar highlighted the Ministry’s focus on major pollutants such as lead, found in paints and children’s toys. He noted that the use of leaded fuel was banned approximately ten years ago to protect public health. The Ministry also monitors mercury, a hazardous metal subject to international agreements.

Regarding environmental crimes, he explained that the concept includes all violations of the Environmental Protection and Improvement Law, as well as breaches of international conventions such as the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Iraqi law contains punitive provisions in Articles 33, 34, and 35 of the Environmental Protection and Improvement Law.

He continued that indiscriminate or open burning of waste is prohibited under all national and international legislation and constitutes a serious environmental disaster. Such practices release toxic pollutants, particularly dioxins and furans, which are carcinogenic, persistent in the environment, enter the food chain, and pose significant health risks.


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